Family Food

Sunday means family lunch at 1pm.  That means everyone, brothers, sisters, parents, significant others, grandchildren.  Everyone.  This was my first chance to try some animal-friendly recipes out on someone other than myself.  With my mother enthusiastically throwing herself into the fun of experimental cooking, we began creating.

It is unusual for us to have appetizers at my house, but we decided to add a little extra flair for St. Patrick's Day.  While the food itself was not green, except for dessert, we figured the style was, as it's "green" friendly.

Here's the menu (forgive my photography skills, there's a learning curve.):

Appetizer: 
No-Tell Ro*tel Dip from Bianca Phillip's book Cookin' Crunk: Eating Vegan in the Dirty South

 (My sister-in-law appreciated this dish because it harkened back to her younger days when she was a teenage vegan.)













Lunch:
Black bean/black-eyed pea burgers in vegan friendly whole wheat buns
Jalapeno Watermelon Salad (Also courtesy of Cookin' Crunk)
Baked Sweet Potato Fried

 (It's not the best picture because I forgot to snap one before all the pretty patties had been eaten. Oh, well.)









(They may be from a bag in the freezer because of a lack of time to make them, but they were darn good.)








(Such a hit with the family.  There was none left after lunch, which is unusual for our bunch.  It tasted of spring, with just the right hint of spice and herbs.  I see this one popping up a lot in my future meal planning.)

Dessert:
Green Tea ice cream made from coconut milk

All the food was tasted before anyone was allowed to ask after the ingredients.  The Rotel dip was a hit for everyone, at least until on of my brothers refused to eat anymore after learning it was made of tofu and not Velveeta.  He complained that it wasn't made of real cheese, but can we call Velveeta (a processed cheese product for those who might not know), real cheese?  Somehow, I don't think so.  Thus began an argument between us where he told me that the only people he knows who are vegans are hypochondriacs who think they're allergic to everything and hippies that should be living on communes.  My parents, who are both interested to see how this lifestyle change will affect me with my chemical allergies, told him to shut his mouth and stop being argumentative.  My parents have tried for years to cultivate an atmosphere of support, regardless of whether or not they agree with thee decisions their children make, so I'm glad I have someone on my side.  I believe I have created a minor division in the household now.  Montague or Capulet, anyone?

The most well-received item was the mock burgers.  My mother and I put our heads together and attempted to invent our own meat-free version of the classic family hamburger.  After looking at hundreds of recipes, we took the idea and created our own version that is heavy on the spicy side and involves many different vegetables.  I for one am quite content with this new dish and have several extras frozen in a ziploc bag, ready to be cooked for any night's simple supper.

And now for something a little different:
Review #2:
The Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese was less than exciting.  It would do excellent in a cheesecake or other dessert, but is bland and rather tasteless, which is not something I'm looking to smear all over my toast in the morning.  It's definitely not my favorite, but I will use it until it is all gone.  I hope Daiya makes a more tasteful version in the future, as this item will continue to be something I miss about dairy foods.